Travel treacherous across region, with numerous closings.

Travel treacherous across region, with numerous closings.

Authorities at the South Bend Regional Airport said they were open for business early Wednesday, but at least one flight was quite delayed. Brian Ewalt, an operations specialist for the facility, said the runways are clear of snow and ice, and flights are arriving and departing. "They've been plowing snow and trying to do their best," Ewalt said of the facility's maintenance crews. And a noncommercial United Parcel Service flight had just arrived shortly before 7 a.m. without difficulty, he added. However, passenger flights headed for Detroit, Cincinnati and Atlanta were posted with delays. Big delays. For some planning to travel to Atlanta, a 6:35 a.m. flight was delayed until 11:30 a.m., Ewalt said. Travel in Michiana, however, proved to be tough enough here at home. Police were still asking people to stay off area roads unless travel was absolutely necessary, authorities said early Monday. South Bend Police dispatchers said crews were working as fast as they can, but there were too many slide-offs and minor accidents to count and even police were having trouble getting to their calls. St. Joseph County authorities said Mayflower Road was still closed from S.R. 23 to the bypass at 3 a.m., and the bypass, closed in the eastbound direction from S.R. 23 to U.S. 31, was treacherous as a result of whiteout conditions. Both roads were reopened at 4:30 a.m., but police still asked people to avoid them. In Marshall County, U.S. 31 southbound was closed around midnight after a tree fell across the lanes near the U.S. 30 intersection. Indiana State Police said the road was reopened a few hours later. While there were not any official travel bans, authorities asked for the public's cooperation as 4 a.m. temperatures dipped to 1 degree at South Bend Regional Airport and, coupled with winds gusting to 29 mph, were creating icy conditions and visibility problems. The current wind chill was minus 21, NWS reported. Further north, Michigan State Police at midnight asked all drivers to stay off I-94 from the Indiana-Michigan state line clear through to Calhoun County unless travel was absolutely essential. From 1 a.m. until about 6:40 a.m., MSP said, all westbound lanes were closed at Lawrence because the roads were so icy that trucks could not move and blocked the highway. "A 14-year trooper working midnights said it was the slipperiest he'd ever seen it," an MSP dispatcher said. "They were literally driving 25 miles per hour and the wind was blowing them sideways." In Cass County, officials asked people to stay off the roads unless travel was critical. In fact, county authorities warned that if motorists did have an emergency, 911 crews were likely to have difficulty themselves while responding. "They're everywhere," said LaPorte County officials of their slide-offs and accidents, though fortunately, there were no reports before 7:30 a.m. of any serious crashes. "The wind is the worst part of it all," added LaPorte city authorities. Back at the airport, Ewalt said specific flight information is available from the airlines themselves, and travelers are encouraged to call or check online. People with connections through Chicago, though, might find themselves out in the all-too-literal cold. Chicago media reported that at O'Hare International, more than 350 flights were canceled Tuesday night and some travelers had 90-minute delays. At Midway, delays ran 30 minutes with dozens of cancellations. "Definitely, contact your airline before you leave for the airport," Ewalt said. "They're going to know before anyone else will." For up-to-the-minute news on weather, travel conditions and school closings, check with SBT24/7 News at www.southbendtribune.com or with our newsgathering partners at WSBT-TV and WSBT Radio News.